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Komrabai Mansaray, a security guard stationed at the Sierratel Telecommunication Pole in Komrabai Village, Lokomasama, Port Loko District, provided crucial testimony against three Africell employees accused of stealing Sierratel property valued at nearly four billion Leones.
Testifying on Tuesday, September 3rd, Mansaray recounted the events of July 3rd, 2024, when he encountered Engineer Mahmoud Kamara, the first accused, along with two other Africell employees, at the Sierratel site. Mansaray, who is responsible for overseeing Sierratel’s assets, revealed that he had left the site that morning to travel to Lungi. While en route, he received a concerning phone call from an Africell security guard named Amos, prompting his immediate return to the location.
Upon his arrival, Mansaray found the gate to the site locked but managed to enter, where he confronted Kamara and the other accused individuals. The Africell employees reportedly claimed they had been dispatched by their company to work on the site. Mansaray requested identification, which Kamara provided, confirming his employment with Africell. However, Mansaray quickly noticed that several Sierratel assets, including cables, breakers, and air conditioning distribution systems, had been tampered with.
Mansaray testified that the accused individuals loaded the compromised items into a vehicle, seemingly confident that their actions were authorized by Africell’s management. This testimony has become a central piece of evidence in the ongoing case.
During the proceedings, the prosecution, led by Sergeant 9939 Mohamed Lahai, requested a brief adjournment to further confer with the witness, which was granted by the court. Meanwhile, the defense counsel, Walter Gabber Esq., renewed his bail application for the accused, but Magistrate Sahr Kekura denied the request, citing the gravity of the charges. The accused were ordered to remain in custody until the next court session on September 6th, 2024.
Mahmoud Kamara, along with his co-accused, Alie Barrie and Amara Sesay, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and larceny under the Larceny Act of 1916. The prosecution alleges that on July 3rd, 2024, the trio conspired to steal a range of telecommunications equipment from Sierratel, including a B15 3606 CDMA 3/2 site, six Aviat Eclipse 1Gbps microwave links, a DC rectifier cabinet, and twelve deep cycle VLAR Gel batteries, all valued at approximately 3.97 billion Leones.
As the trial progresses, the court will further examine the evidence and testimonies to determine the involvement of the accused in the alleged theft.
